Aryeh Lebowitz
Co-education – A Torah Perspective
I.
Introduction
The issue of co-education, especially in a formal school setting, is one that had not been addressed by the poskim until recent times. The obvious reason for this omission is that formal Jewish education for girls began to occur broadly only in the last century. Certainly, the concept of providing boys and girls with similar enough education to properly serve both genders in the same classroom is a novel one, and is still debated by leading educators and rabbinic authorities. A discussion of the halachic propriety of teaching Gemara and other parts of torah she’ba’al peh
to girls is well beyond the scope of this essay.
1
We will work with the assumption that having the majority of boys and girls learning the same or similar curriculum, through high school is in fact both educationally and halachically sound policy. Our focus will be specifically on the issue of the halachic advisability of mixing the genders in a school setting, and a discussion of the parameters of any leniency in this area. More specifically, we will discuss whether the mingling of the genders is an ideal in Jewish education, and if not, under what parameters and circumstances, it would be permissible to do so.
A number of points will help to structure this discussion:
A.
People commonly assume that the issue of co-education is purely one of personal choice. In this essay we will attempt to prove that the issue is also an issue that is addressed by the Torah, and requires the guidance of a Torah authority before any final decision can be made, whether on a community-wide or personal level.
When discussing co-education people often quote the latest educational studies and their findings.
2
While recent studies can be cited to support both sides of the debate, such studies are not necessarily dispositive in establishing a religious community’s decision regarding how to run a school.
3
A halachic issue cannot normally be resolved solely based on contemporary secular literature. Instead,
1 The reader is referred to a full treatment of this topic by Rabbi Moshe Weinberger in the Journal of
Halacha and Contemporary Society IX page 19.
2 See, for instance, “Eylu v’Eylu: A Case for Jewish Education”, Steve Bailey PHD, who writes “Let me state my case by approaching it from my areas of relative expertise: secular education, Jewish education and two decades of psychological practice. I am not discussing the issue through a halachic analysis, which is not my area of eligibility.” By contrast, while we acknowledge that educational and psychological factors can impact the halacha, our emphasis will be on the halachic issues involved, and how various leading halachic authorities have addressed these issues.
3 One of the more common arguments presented to defend co-education, is the idea that children need to learn how to interact with the opposite gender. A lack of experience in doing so may cripple the child in his social relationships as an adult, most significantly in marriage. While this argument may seem compelling, there has been significant research to indicate that the opposite is in fact true. When children are able to develop their self esteem independently, without the self consciousness and unhealthy competitiveness that a co-ed environment engenders, they are better equipped to adjust socially as adults. (“Single-Sex and
Coeducational Schooling: Relationships to Socioemotional and Academic Development” Fred A. Mael
1998).

these educational and psychological considerations need to be weighed carefully along with the guidance of traditional Torah sources.
4
B.
While this paper will paint the issue in broad outline, it should be evident that each community, each school, and each family presents a unique set of circumstances. One cannot pass judgment on any given school, community or family without a thorough understanding of the community’s history, the religious commitment and outlook of its members, the already existing schools in the community (if any), and the unique challenges, financial or otherwise, that it faces.
5
Nor can one even assume what a specific posek would have ruled for one community based on what that posek ruled for a different community.
6
Therefore, it would be wrong for a community to base its decision for the type of educational institution(s) it establishes on the decision of a different community in a different milieu.
7 Each school, when making this decision, must do so in careful consultation with the local rabbinic leadership. It is also an issue that should be revisited from time to time, at least as to its detailed implementation, given changing circumstances.
8
4 It is certainly difficult to relate to this topic on a purely halachic level. Considering the different degrees to which boys and girls may interact, it is difficult to declare coeducation as either purely permissible or purely forbidden. We will instead focus on a general direction that the torah guides us in, rather than specific guidelines to be obeyed by every institution. As Rav Ahron Lichtenstien pointed out: “You ask another question and it is not a question just of issurim: assur mutar, mutar assur… in education you run a wide gamut from relatively minimal situations to maximalist situations”. (AMODS Convention, Center for the Jewish Future, 2007)
5 See, for instance, Responsa Shevet Halevi I:29 who writes regarding a school that has mixed classes between the ages of five and eleven “since there are talmidei chachamim who are known to possess yirat shamayim in that place, perhaps they have already objected and they were not listened to, or perhaps the situation was previously even worse and they are correcting the situation gradually (in stages). It is therefore difficult for me to judge the matter from a distance. It is appropriate to bring the matter to the attention of the leaders of that community”.
6 Rabbi Ahron Silver recounted the following incident in the name of his father who had witnessed it: “Rav
Aharon Kotler zt'l once got up at a Torah U'mesorah convention and said that one has to be makpid on certain co-educational issues. When Rav Aharon finished speaking, one of the day school principals in attendance got up and said that he accepts whatever Rav Aharon says as he is a gadol hador, and he will have to resign from his position as they will never accept such guidelines in his school. Rav Aharon responded that he never meant that the principal should resign, rather he just meant that one should insist on these things if it is possible in one's school.” (email correspondence) This incident illustrates how a particular pesak in a given situation cannot be universally applied, especially with nuanced issues such as school policies.
7 See Nefesh Harav page 237. Certainly, for a family to make a decision based on the decision of another family would be an equally flawed approach. A very prominent Rosh Hayeshiva from the past generation once remarked “When it comes to co-education there are two Shulchan Aruch ’s, one for New York and one for the rest of America”. (email correspondence with Mr. Julius Berman)
8 For instance, many day schools that were established decades ago were serving children who had come from non-observant families. In the absence of a co-educational institution many of those children would have certainly received either no or little Jewish education. The demographics of many neighborhoods have changed over the past few decades, resulting in many of these same institutions serving an exclusively orthodox parent body that would send their children to a yeshiva regardless of the availability of a coeducational institution. It goes without saying that very frequently revisiting issues that would require drastic changes may not be advisable, as it may upset the equilibrium of the school. However, it is advisable for schools to revisit major policy decisions once in a long while in order to ensure that they are serving their parent body to the best of their ability. Rav Ahron Lichtenstein has identified the policy of co-

C.
While this essay will focus on the issue of co-education, it should be obvious that this is just one of dozens of issues to weigh before choosing a school. To conclude whether any given school should be viewed in a positive or negative light based on the findings of this essay, would be overly narrow; co-education is but one of a number of factors to consider when evaluating the choice of schools for a child.
What this essay attempts to accomplish is two fold. First, we will discuss whether co-education should be viewed as a drawback, advantage, or neutral point.
Second, to the extent that co-education is viewed as a drawback, we will outline how different poskim have approached this issue and the range of extenuating circumstances that they considered in reaching a particular decision.
II.
The Halachic Issues.
As we noted earlier, most of the classical sources relating to separation of the genders are not addressing an educational context.
9 However, analogies from other situations can be applied, with care, to other contexts.
A.
The following is a list of sources, cited by a variety of poskim , to suggest that co-education is frowned upon in the halacha:
1.
The lone source in medieval halachic literature that actually deals with coeducation is a comment of the Meiri to a Gemara in Kiddushin . The
Gemara warns a father not to teach his son a profession “amongst the women”. This passage is traditionally understood to mean that a father should not teach his son a profession that will require frequent interaction with women.
10
However, the Meiri explains that it means that the boys and girls should not be placed in the same vocational school to learn the same education as one that must be revisited from time to time. He stated: “I do feel however, that if that
(allowing a co-ed institution due to financial hardship) is done in a particular community there should be an element of b’dieved about it to begin with and part of the situation of b’dieved is the striving eventually to move from b’dieved to lechatchila . If you open such a school because of financial or budgetary restriction, you can’t have classes with three students in them, it should be done with a sense which at a minimum at least the ba’alei batim and the mechanchim we are doing this now because it is important and we do not want to leave one of the genders outside but our hope is in due time we want to have a larger school with budgetary possibilities which would enable having both with both genders represented.”
9 Dr Seth Farber, in his book An American Orthodox Dreamer: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and the
Maimonides School , suggests (pg. 79) that “it may be argued that the lack of a standard primary source highlights the absence of a definitive prohibition”. This is a questionable assertion. To the contrary, as Dr.
Farber himself notes “One cannot find an extensive discussion of coeducation in traditional Jewish legal sources since women did not receive formal education until the modern period”. Clearly, the lack of a clear statement of Chazal prohibiting coeducation is no different than the lack of a clear statement of Chazal prohibiting the use of a laptop computer on Shabbat. Chazal simply did not think of such a possibility.
Leading poskim , though, are adept at applying various statements of Chazal and Rishonim to contemporary issues and coming to a clear and definitive position based on the direction that Chazal have established. In fact, there is no clear statement in Shulchan Aruch requiring a mechitza in a synagogue. The Mishnah
Berurah 156:4 cites a lengthy list of basic requirements that, for one reason or another, are not included in
Shulchan Aruch . Indeed, many of the poskim who have written on this matter have asserted that the lack of a clear singular source is due to the fact that the prohibition is so obvious based on multiple sources.
10 See Responsa Shevet Halevi , Even Ha’ezer V:206 who says that while we cannot mandate that women not join the workforce because the financial difficulties many families are faced with compel women to work, one should be very careful that the workplace not be a breeding ground for the yetzer hara . He continues to say that this should serve as open rebuke to co-educational institutions where the children are taught to become accustomed to having access to the opposite gender, which is in direct contrast to the torah.

profession, lest they grow accustomed to one another which could lead to sin.
11
2.
The Gemara derives a requirement for a separation between men and women at the simchat beit ha’shoeva
from the prophet Zecharia
’s description of the eulogy of Mashiach ben Yosef.
12
The prophet describes
“ Mishpachat beit Dovid l’vad, u’nsheihem l’vad” “the family of Dovid by itself and their wives by themselves”. If in a time of eulogy, when one is not inclined toward frivolous behavior, and in the future world, after the evil inclination has been slaughtered, the Torah still demands that men and women gather separately, certainly in times of celebration when the evil inclination is still active the Torah demands that we separate men from women.
13
3.
The Rambam writes that during the holidays, when people tend to socialize, the beit din has a responsibility to appoint officers to search in the gardens and homes to prevent people from socializing with members of the opposite gender.
14 Furthermore, people should be warned in advance about the dangers of such mingling in their homes.
15
The
Shulchan Aruch echoes the Rambam’s ruling, adding that it is important to retain our sanctity.
16
4.
Perhaps the most unambiguous source to stress the need to separate the genders is the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch that one should distance
11 Meiri, commentary to Kiddushin 81a. See, also, Sefer Chasidim #168 who warns not to mix boys and girls together lest they sin. To support this prohibition, Sefer Chasidim cites a verse in Zecharyah 8:5 which states that “young boys and young girls will play in it’s (Jerusalem’s) streets”, and notes that the verse does not say “young boys with young girls”, but that the two groups will play separately.
12 Zechariah 12:12
13 Succah 52a. While this passage may also serve as a primary source in a discussion of mechitzah in a synagogue or at social functions, those topics are beyond the scope of this essay. The environment of simchat beit ha’shoevah and the environment of torah education are similar in that both are supposed to be conducive to sanctity and the performance of an important mitzvah.
14 This comment of the Rambam seems to be based on the statement of the Gemara in Kiddushin 81a that the most challenging time of year to uphold high standards of tzeniyut is during the holidays. Rashi explains that on the holidays men and women gather to hear the derasha after which they frequently discuss what they had just learned with each other. [One may argue that in our times, when women are in the work force, the challenges in this area are greater on regular weekdays than they are on holidays.] It is notable that the concern for a compromise of tzeniyut actually begins with the performance of a mitzvah – the requirement to learn about the holiday on each holiday.
Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzal suggests that this may be the connection between the end of Parshat Re’eh and the beginning of Parshat Shoftim . Although, throughout the torah the accepted opinion is that we do not derive laws from the juxtaposition of two parshiyot , all agree that in Sefer Devarim we do derive laws from the juxtaposition of two parshiyot . The end of Parshat Re’eh discusses the holidays, while the beginning of
Parshat Shoftim discusses the requirement to appoint judges and officers. Rabbi Nebenzal suggests that this may be an allusion to what the Rambam says about appointing tzeniyut officers specifically during the holiday season. ( Sichot l’sefer Devarim)
15 Hilchot Yom Tov 6:21
16 529:4. See Mishnah Berurah ad loc. who writes that great care must always be taken in this area. The
Shulchan Aruch specifically stresses holidays because that is when people most commonly stumble in these areas. See also Sha’ar Ha’tziyun ad loc. #21 that there are certain places where there has been a breakdown in this area even on weekdays, and it is a “great sin” that anybody with the power to stop it should do so.

himself from women “very very much”.
17
The Sefer Api Zutri explains the unusually strong language employed by the Shulchan Aruch based on similar language that appears in a Mishnah in Pirkei Avot , where the
Mishnah warns:
“meod meod havi shefal ruach”
(“one should be very very humble”).
18
The Rambam explains that while we normally try to attain the golden mean in most of our character traits, regarding arrogance one must remain as far as possible to the opposite extreme.
19
Similarly, when relating to issued of mixing of the genders it is critical to avoid a moderate stance and stay as far to the cautious extreme as possible.
20
B.
Of course, proper analysis of any source must include a discussion as to the source’s applicability to modern times. Numerous arguments have been advanced by modern educators to encourage a more lenient stance than the one implied by the classical sources toward co-education, either on the grounds that an educational setting is fundamentally different than the settings the gemara had spoken about, or on the grounds that our students have different sensitivities because they are growing up in a more permissive environment.
1.
Some educators have argued that these concerns are not valid in a classroom setting where each student is focused on their work, and is much less likely to be overcome by lewd thoughts. Rav Ovadya Yosef points out that when the Gemara ( Kiddushin 82) warns about teaching a child a profession that will require substantial interaction with women, the Tosafot HaRosh comment that the Gemara specifically emphasizes the idea of separating men from women during times of work because one may have mistakenly thought that while one is concentrating on work there is no reason for concern. Similarly, while the atmosphere of a classroom may minimize the problem, it would be a mistake to assume that it would solve the problem entirely.
21
Furthermore, on a practical level, it is nearly impossible to see to it that the students only interact in the classroom and not in the far less formal areas of the school like the hallways, dining room, and school bus.
22
Finally, Rabbi Yakov Kaminetzky and Rabbi Mendel Zaks point out that perhaps allowing for a co-ed atmosphere in a Jewish school is even worse than allowing for it in other contexts. The Yeshiva’s purpose is to educate our sons and daughters to observe torah properly.
It is particularly damaging to the education of the child when the very
17 Shulchan Aruch Even Haezer 21. See also Aruch Hashulchan, Orach Chaim 583:4 who says that in a community where women attend tashlich services on the first day of Rosh Hashana, it is best for men not to attend. One of the reasons for the requirement to limit interaction between the genders is the problem of shemirat einayim (making sure not to gaze at women). When one regularly interacts with women, particularly amongst young adults, it is very difficult to avoid the sin of gazing inappropriately at women.
18 Avot chapter 4.
19 Rambam Hilchot De’ot 2:3.
20 Cited in Responsa Yabia Omer X:23.
21 Responsa Yabia Omer IV Even Ha’ezer #4
22 Indeed, Rabbis Yakov Kaminetzky and Mendel Zaks write that “certainly it is a very great sin”
( B’mechitzas Rabeinu pages 88-89).

institution that is assigned to teach observance takes liberties in implementing observance on campus.
23
For all of the above reasons,
Rabbis Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, Avraham Yitzchak Hakohein
Kook
24
, and Yakov Moshe Charlop zt”l
all signed on a ruling to separate boys and girls in school.
25
2.
Some have suggested that we be more lenient today because of all of the peritzut (sexually liberal attitude and dress) in the streets. After all, one may suggest that our children have developed a higher tolerance for sexual immorality and are less likely to become tempted by a co-ed environment. The merit of this line of thinking seems to be the subject of debate amongst the leading poskim . The Levush cites the comment of Sefer Chasidim who writes that one should not recite the joyous blessing of “she’hasimcha b’m’ono ” at a wedding where there is mixed seating, because the mixing of the genders detracts from the joy of a Jewish celebration. The Levush comments that nowadays, when women more regularly mingle with men, they have become like
“white geese” (i.e. something we are accustomed to) and no longer the subject of illicit thoughts.
26
Similarly, in a much celebrated comment, the Aruch Hashulchan writes that now that women regularly walk in the streets with their hair uncovered, one would be permitted to recite berachot in front of a married woman whose hair is not covered.
Although there is a prohibition to recite a berachah in the presence of ervah , the status of uncovered hair as ervah is subjective. Thus, the fact that we regularly see uncovered hair has desensitized us to the sexual appeal of hair.
27
While not addressing interaction between men and women, the implication of the Levush and Aruch Hashulchan is that familiarity can breed a desexualized attitude to what otherwise would have been considered sexually charged. Rabbi Ovadya Yosef argues that the opposite is true. More innocent times afford us a greater level of trust that higher standards of tzeniyut can be maintained in challenging situations. Rabbi Yosef demonstrates this from a comment of R’ Yochanan who said that he remembered a time in Israel when a boy and girl of sixteen or seventeen could play together without sinning. He lamented that, in his generation when so much innocence had been lost, this is no longer the case.
28
Rabbi
23 B’mechitzah Rabeinu ibid.
24 Rav Kook’s position on the matter is firmly established in a number of his letters. In Iggerot Harayah II:
392 he writes that “there is no limit to the destructive educational influence that comes through this unnatural joining of the genders in school for young and older children”. Furthermore, in I:279 he writes:
“the administrators of the school have joined the two genders together… without any regard for tzeniyut ”.
See approbation of Rabbi Simcha Kook to Sefer Kedoshim Tihiyu .
25 This declaration was signed in the year 5674 (cited in Responsa Yabia Omer X:23).
26 Levush Hachor , minhagim #36. While it is debatable whether the Levush would have applied this logic to co-education, he certainly expresses the idea that familiarity weakens a sense of sexual tension.
27 Aruch Hashulchan, Orach Chaim 75:7. It should be noted that the Aruch Hashulchan does not permit married women to keep their hair uncovered. In fact he uses very strong language to express how sad it is that so many women do not cover their hair. See also Nefesh Harav page 255.
28 Bava Batra 91b.

Yosef notes that if R’ Yochanan felt that innocence had been lost in his generation he certainly would have had a similar assessment of our generation. To suggest that when kids are used to co-ed environments from a young age they are less likely to sin is simply “ negged ha’metziut ” (contrary to reality).
29
3.
A contemporary educator, Rabbi Dr. Steve Bailey, in a forcefully worded argument to support co-education in yeshivot writes: “one can understand a Mishnah in Avot that reads ‘ Ayzehu gibor? Hakovesh et yitzro
’: Who is one who shows strength of character/ It is one who conquers the yetzer – ‘ hakovesh et yitzro
’—not ‘ haboreach m’yitzro ’, one who flees from the yetzer . We believe that confronting the adolescent yetzer , rather than running from it, is what builds Jewish strength of character necessary for adult maturity.” The author acknowledges that this argument is not based in a halachic approach to the question. Indeed, this line of reasoning would certainly seem to conflict with some of the previously cited sources.
30 However, even on a hashkafic level taking this argument to an extreme would lead to some very troubling policies. Is it also advisable to give unsupervised internet access or to keep non-kosher candy in their home to build the strength of character in children to withstand temptation? It seems that one will inevitably encounter the desire to sin throughout a normal lifespan. It may be advisable to keep the temptations to a minimum so that one may concentrate his energy on the battles that are thrust his way involuntarily. After all, we pray each and every day at the conclusion of the birchot ha’shachar
that we should manage to avoid situations of nisayon (being tested). It would seem insincere for one to pray that God help him avoid nisayon , and then to actively seek out direct confrontation with the yetzer hara . Even positing its fundamental validity, how one applies Rabbi Bailey’s point is unclear.
III. How separate?
Even those who agree that unconstrained mingling of the genders creates a halachic problem, may still disagree as to how far we have to go to separate boys from girls. One may argue that a skilled administrator, running a coeducational institution, may tactically limit inappropriate social contact. This raises the question of how separate does the school have to be in an ideal halachic world?
29 Responsa Yabia Omer IV: Even Ha’azer :#4. See also Sukkah 52b and Sanhedrin 107a where the Gemara states that the more one feeds their desires for sexual immorality the greater those desires become.
Furthermore, the Gemara in Yevamot ( daf 76), when discussing how to arouse a man in order to diagnose a physical ailment, states that if the man is steeped in sexual immorality he will be aroused by even the slightest hint of a woman (seeing women’s clothing), whereas it would be a far greater challenge to arouse a man who is far removed from sexual immorality (like Ya’akov Avinu).
30 It seems to especially run counter to the Gemara in Kiddushin that advises a man to teach his child a profession that will not require the child to associate with women frequently. The Gemara seems to assume that the most effective way to avoid sin is to avoid situations of temptation. Additionally, the Gemara
Yevamot 21a encourages us to add extra safeguards to avoid situations of sin (
“asu mishmeret l’mishmarti” ). The idea of avoiding temptation is further highlighted in Avodah Zara 17a and 58b where the nazir is warned to avoid a vineyard entirely, and this concept is extended to discourage everybody from situations where one might sin.

A.
Constant Contact. Some educators have noted that familiarity between the genders breeds a greater respect and removes a great deal of the sexual tension that would exist for people who are not accustomed to interacting with the opposite gender.
31
While each school may have a different experience with this, the classic rabbinic literature seems to take a clear position to the contrary on the matter. Rashi notes that the Gemara refrains from identifying a particular family by name, because this family would allow married men and women to live in very close proximity to each other. Although, they were always careful about laws of yichud , Chazal did not approve of a living arrangement where men and women had ready access to each other.
32
Based on this, Rav Shlomo Aviner writes that while one can’t help but to encounter and deal cordially with women throughout the course of his life, one is prohibited from setting up a framework in his life to be in constant contact with women.
33
B.
Different classes or different buildings? Most poskim who deal with issues of coeducation speak about a mixed classroom, but do not address a mixed campus, with boys and girls in separate classes. Rav Ovadyah Yosef, though, was asked about a high school that already had separate classes. The only interaction between the boys and the girls took place in the courtyard of the school during breaks. The principal of the school wanted to know whether it was necessary to build a wall in the middle of the courtyard to keep the boys and girls separate at all times. Rav Yosef responded in the affirmative. He reiterates the dangers of close access and congratulates the principal for beginning the mitzvah (by separating the classes), but urges him to complete the mitzvah (by building a wall to separate the two sides of the campus).
34
One gets the impression that the restrictions suggested for a totally co-ed school (i.e. prohibition to open such a school in the absence of major need etc.) would not apply, in Rav Yosef’s opinion, to a school that has separate classes, though it is certainly ideal to split the genders as much as possible.
IV. At What Age?
Once we have established a clear halachic preference to try to keep gender separation in our schools, the question becomes: When does it become necessary?
It is almost a universally accepted practice to send young children to co-ed playgroups.
Clearly children at that age do not have the yetzer hara of a high school student.
As noted earlier, the Sefer Chasidim , without defining an exact age states that the children should be separated even at a young age.
35
The poskim seem to be split on the
31 Dr Steve Bailey, “Eylu v’eylu : A Case for Jewish Education” writes “Clearly, the students themselves recognized that when the stigma of prohibited social interaction between genders is removed, the incentive for surreptitious and unacceptable conduct becomes minimal, leaving a healthy regard for each other, and each other’s individuality, as people and as classmates.”
32 Commentary to Sanhedrin 86a s.v. shel beit ploni .
33 Letter printed in Kedoshim T’hiyu page 247. See also, Responsa Mispar Ha’sofer (cited in Responsa
Yabia Omer X:23) that “anybody who has eyes can see that in co-educational institutions it is impossible to avoid excessive closeness between the genders… and they treat a severe prohibition as if it were permissible… and they violate an explicit prohibition of “lo tikrevu l’galot ervah ”.
34 Responsa Yabia Omer X:23. In encouraging the building of a fence, Rav Yosef employs a play on the words of Rashi at the beginning of Parshat Kedoshim “ kol makom she’atah motzei geder ervah atah motzei kedusha ” (“wherever one finds a fence to avoid sexual immorality, one finds holiness”).
35 #168 - To support this prohibition, Sefer Chasidim cites a verse in Zecharyah 8:5 which states that
“young boys and young girls will play in it’s (Jerusalem’s) streets”, and notes that the verse does not say

issue of precisely what age one should aim to split the classes, particularly when faced with financial or other difficulties:
36
A.
Rav Moshe Feinstein offers an interesting halachic analysis of this question. The issue hinges on how we understand the nature of the mitzvah of chinuch . On the one hand one may argue that the obligation of chinuch applies when, other than the child’s age, all other factors put the child is in a position to observe a mitzvah the way he would as an adult.
Alternatively, one may argue that the mitzvah of chinuch does not only apply when the child has the emotional and social capacity to observe the mitzvah similar to an adult, but the mitzvah is to train the child do exactly what they would be required to do as an adult. Rabbi Feinstein asserts that preferred approach is the subject of a dispute between the Magen Avraham and Mishnah Berurah that arises when training a child in the mitzvah of lulav on the first day of Sukkot.
The Shulchan Aruch rules that one may not give his lulav to a child before the adult has used it for the mitzvah on the first day of Sukkot because while the child has the legal ability to acquire the lulav, a child cannot transfer ownership back to the father.
However, the Shulchan Aruch suggests that if the parent holds it together with the child, never ceding possession to him, the child has never taken possession and the parent may use the lulav for the mitzvah.
37
The Magen
Avraham writes that when the child and parent hold on to the lulav together, the parent has not fulfilled his obligation of chinuch because the child must be trained to do the mitzvah in the same way he will do it as an adult. If never taking possession would not suffice for an adult, it does not suffice for a child either. The Mishnah Berurah , on the other hand, argues that the father does fulfill his mitzvah of chinuch in this way because the requirement is only for the father to train the child in the mitzvah, not necessarily to have all of the conditions for normal fulfillment in place.
38
Rabbi Feinstein argues that when we relate this debate to our question of co-education in younger grades the rulings would be reversed. According to the Magen Avraham that all conditions must be in place for the mitzvah of chinuch to apply, there would be no sense in separating the genders at a young age because the most basic condition for the mitzvah (a real yetzer
“young boys with young girls”, but that the two groups will play separately. He cites further textual support from the verse in Yirmiyah 31:12 that states “the young maiden will rejoice in a circle, and the young and old men will rejoice together”. The verse clearly separates the celebration of the young girl from that of the young boy together with the old men. Furthermore, the verse in Tehillim 148:12 states “young men and also
( v’gam ) young women; the old with ( im ) the young”, indicating a separation between the young men and women.
36 There is a similar, but not necessarily related discussion regarding the age at which a girl is required to dress in accordance with the laws of tzeniyut . The Biur Halacha ( siman 75) writes that from the age of three a girl should be trained to dress with all of the halachic guidelines that would govern the dress of an adult woman. The Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim 16:8 s.v. katav ) argues that a girl only must begin dressing in a tzanua fashion when she is of the age to affect a man’s yetzer hara .
37 Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 658:6 based on Gemara Sukka 46.
38 See Mishnah Berurah ibid #28 and Sha’ar Ha’tziyun #36.

hara for arayot ) is missing.
39
Just as an adult who does not possess a yetzer hara would not be required to stay away from social settings with women, 40 we would have no requirement to train a child who does not yet have any yetzer hara for arayot to stay away from the opposite gender.
41
According to the Mishnah Berurah , though, that the point of the mitzvah of chinuch is to train the child to become accustomed to perform the mitzvah, separating the genders should be required at the youngest of ages. Rabbi Feinstein rules in accordance with the
Mishnah Berurah’ s understanding of the mitzvah of chinuch and therefore requires gender separation at the youngest of ages (presumably as soon as a child notices the difference between boys and girls).
42
B.
Rabbi Ovadyah Yosef disagrees with Rabbi Feinstein’s stringency for younger children. Rabbi Yosef argues that prior to the onset of the yetzer hara for arayot there is no halachic obligation to separate the boys from the girls.
43
Rabbi Yosef suggests that one cannot prove anything from the
Mishnah Berurah’s ruling regarding the child taking a lulav, because the
Rashba in his commentary to Yevamot (daf 114) suggests that the requirement of chinuch only applies to positive commandments such as
39 Rabbi Ahron Silver has pointed out that this approach seems to be supported by a comment of the
Brisker Rav in his commentary to Arachin 2b. The Gemara states that a child who still requires his mother’s assistance is exempt from sukkah . The Brisker Rav explains that a child who still needs his mother would certainly be mitzta’er (pained) by going to the sukkah without his mother. Considering that an adult who is mitzta’er is exempt from sukkah , a child in the same position is certainly exempt.
40 See Ketubot 17a where Rav Acha would dance with the bride on his shoulders, and explain that she is no more than an inanimate wooden beam to him. See Pitchei Teshuvah Even Ha’ezer 65:1 in the name of
Torat Chaim to Avodah Zara 17a.
41 In a follow up responsum Iggerot Moshe, Yoreh Deah II:104, Rabbi Feinstein suggests that in the case of co-education perhaps the Magen Avraham would also prohibit from the youngest ages because one may distinguish between not being mechanech a child, as in the case of lulav , and being mechanech a child to do the wrong thing, as is the case when children get used to mixing with the opposite gender. Rabbi Feinstein argues further that even if there were no formal prohibition to have mixed classes at the youngest ages, people are not very good at defining where the line must be drawn, and ultimately will mix older grades as well. For precedent to this idea Rabbi Feinstein points a passage in Chagiga 3a where Rabi Eliezer ben
Azaryah states that children were brought to hakhel “to give reward to those who bring them”. Rabbi
Yehoshua was so excited to hear this explanation that he praised it a great deal. Rabbi Feinstein points out that this passage is perplexing. After all, isn’t it obvious that if the torah requires one to bring the children, those who bring them will receive reward? What was so novel about R’ Eliezer ben Azarya’s statement?
Rabbi Feinstein explains that when approaching the task of teaching a child torah, it is very enticing for a parent to say that the child isn’t ready to understand yet. Very often parents will sell their children short and will neglect their obligation to teach the children until the children are well past the age that they should have begun learning. To counter this attitude, Rabi Eliezer ben Azaryah says that God commanded us to bring even the youngest children to hear the reading of the torah. Even the children who are certainly too young to understand what is being read are brought. This way, a parent can never procrastinate in starting their child’s torah education. Similarly, if co-education were permitted in the younger grades, it is very easy to fall into the trap of saying that the child will remain unharmed throughout elementary and junior high school, when in fact, the yetzer hara for arayot becomes active considerably earlier.
42 Responsa Iggerot Moshe, Yoreh Deah I:137.
43 Interestingly, the Gemara in Yevamot 114a, while discussing a case of keys that were lost in a public domain on Shabbat, says that one may bring the young boys and girls to play in that area so that if they find the keys they will bring them back. The implication is that the little boys and girls (below the age of chinuch ) may play together in a common area.

lulav . One is not required to prevent children from violation of negative commandments, such as the mingling of the genders, even according to the Mishnah Berurah.
44 Additionally, Rabbi Yosef believes that the
Mishnah Berurah
’s opinion is a minority view, and the normative halacha would follow the view of the Magen Avraham .
Rabbi Yosef proves that young children should be permitted to sit in co-educational classes from a Gemara in Chagiga that asks whether a blind child is obligated in the mitzvah of aliyah l’regel
. The Gemara clarifies that we are speaking of a child who will get better (before his bar mitzvah
45
). The question hinges on the issue of whether he is obligated to do the mitzvah so that he will be trained to do the mitzvah when he becomes an adult, or is exempt because even an adult in his situation is exempt. The Gemara concludes that he is exempt and the Rambam rules this way as well.
46
Similarly, just as an adult who has no yetzer hara would be permitted to sit in a co-ed class, a very young child, who also has no yetzer hara for these matters should be permitted to be in a co-ed class. Therefore Rabbi Yosef rules that beginning at the age of nine years old classes should be separated.
47
Rabbi Yakov Kaminetzky agrees that prior to the age of nine there is room to be lenient because the child doesn’t have a yetzer hara and the obligation of chinuch in passively performed mitzvot only begins at nine years of age.
48
C.
Although we have noted authorities who require separation of the genders at a particular age, dividing by an age seems impractical as we divide our children based on grade level. Rabbi Ahron Kotler therefore provides a grade level by which the genders must be split when he writes that “it is critical to separate the boys and girls from fifth grade”.
49
44 Although, generally it is prohibited to provide a child with a prohibited item ( Yevamot 117a; see this author’s article on Kashrut for Children, Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Spring 2007)
Rabbi Yosef assumes that when a child has no yetzer hara there is no problem of providing him with the prohibition ( lo ta’achilum ). Rabbi Yosef specifically addresses the issue of chinuch according to those who understand that we must accustom the child to do the right things even if he is not of age for the mitzvah to be applicable. Even according to those who extend the requirement of chinuch to this extent, Rabbi Yosef suggests that this extension would not apply to the avoidance of prohibitions. It should also be noted that the opinion of the Rashba is not universally accepted. Tosafot Yeshanim ( Yoma 82a) cite conflicting views as to whether the obligation of chinuch extends to negative commandments.
45 Tosafot ibid.
46 Hilchot Chagigah 2:3
47 Responsa Yabia Omer, Even Haezer IV:4. Rabbi Yosef does point out that one may distinguish between blindness which is an unfortunate ailment that may strike an adult or a child, and the yetzer hara which naturally becomes part of a person as they grow older, and may therefore be prohibited. However, he does not view this distinction to be halachically compelling.
48 B’mechitzas Rabeinu pages 88-89. The only circumstance with which Rabbi Kaminetzky is willing to be lenient is when the children will be forced to go to public school. He urges, though, that the community spend generously to ensure a proper school for both the boys and girls separately.
49 Mishnat Rabi Ahron III page 169 “ Hachinuch b’yeshivot ketanot ”. See there where Rabbi Kotler adds:
“the reasons for this are known, as learning in a mixed environment has a negative effect on learning, particularly the learning of Gemara”. He continues that there is no need to elaborate on this because all yeshiva principals know this clearly. Finally, he states “regarding mixed high schools all agree that it is an absolute prohibition and should be completely nullified”.

V.
Mitigating factors that support co-educaton.
Despite the assumption that coeducation, past he 5 th
grade should be discouraged, under a variety of circumstances Gedolim have sanctioned the operation of co-educational institutions. The nature of those circumstances is broadly debated.
A.
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein writes that when a community cannot possibly support two separate institutions, and an attempt to separate the genders would result in one gender attending public school,
50
the community may operate an institution where boys and girls learn together at the youngest of ages. Even the Mishnah Berurah , who maintains that the mitzvah of chinuch is to acclimate the child to mitzvot, thereby precluding even the youngest children from a co-educational environment, would agree that where proper chinuch for one gender would result in a complete abandonment of the chinuch of the other gender, one can accommodate both genders with a secondary level of chinuch . However, Rabbi Feinstein omits any allowance for older children to be exposed to co-educational environments, presumably even if one gender would be forced to attend public schools.
51 Apparently, Rabbi Feinstein maintains that while there may be pressing circumstances that will allow us to follow a normally rejected opinion regarding the obligation to be mechanech a child, there are no circumstances that would the formation of a co-educational school for older children (e.g. high school). This is not to suggest that given the option of enrolling a high school student in a co-ed yeshiva or in public school, that Rabbi Feinstein would suggest enrollment in public school. He merely suggests that from a community perspective a co-ed yeshiva high school may never be started.
52
B.
Rabbi Ovadya Yosef offers a more expansive ruling than Rabbi Feinstein.
Rabbi Yosef suggests that when a community is unable to support two
50 More frequently the splitting of boys and girls would lead to both genders attending public school, as many communities are unlikely and unable to support an institution that only serves one gender, often with only three or four students in a class.
51 Responsa Iggerot Moshe, Yoreh Deah I:137. See also Responsa Shevet Halevi Yoreh Deah X:178 who allowed a school in the Ukraine to remain mixed until they had enough resources to separate the boys and girls. Rabbi Wosner, though, is careful to point out that he is only lenient because the school serviced only very young children, the supervision was going to be impeccable, and it is only a hora’at sha’ah (a temporary allowance) until the school is able to separate as the halacha requires.
52 This dichotomy is most poignantly formulated by Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg, the late Rosh HaYeshiva of
Ner Israel Rabbinical College (not to be confused with Rabbi Yechiel Yakov Weinberg, author if Seridei
Eish , whose opinion is also discussed in this essay). Rabbi Weinberg stated: “Sometimes a public acceptance does so much damage that you have to sacrifice the individual for the sake of the policy. For example, we cannot accept a co-ed high school. Does that mean that a boy of a girl is better off in a public school than in a Jewish co-ed high school? Of course not. But the policy in terms of the k’lal has to be that we do not accept a co-ed high school because it is destructive. It goes against the halacha and against k’lal
Yisrael ’s whole essence and morality. Therefore we must be publicly opposed and say no even though we know that it will mean that a number of Yiddishe neshamos will get lost in a public high school. These people who create co-ed high schools are undermining the existence of Klal Yisrael . But with the individual boy or girl, if the choice is between a public high school and these high schools that should not have been opened, of course they are better off in the Jewish co-ed high school. It is not hypocritical and it is not evading; it is the reality of how we, unfortunately, have to deal with the situation because the public posture does make a difference…” ( Rav Yakov Weinberg Talks About Chinuch ; edited by Rabbi Doniel Frank,
Targum Press 2006).

schools, even if the older children will have to be in a co-educational environment, it is better to have a co-ed school than to leave one gender attending public school. Certainly, co-education is a less than ideal way to educate children, but sha’at hadchak k’dieved dami
(when faced with unusual challenges one may rely on less than ideal policies). Rabbi Yosef maintains that it is permissible, and even obligatory, to choose the lesser of two evils specifically in areas of arayot . His proof is a Gemara that says that if men sing and women answer it is considered an act of peritzut , violating the halachot of kol isha .
53
However, if women sing and men answer it is even worse because the men are paying careful attention to the women to know when to answer.
The Gemara asks what difference it makes which is worse once we know that both arrangements are forbidden? The Gemara answers that we need to know which is worse so that if they will only listen to stop one activity we can have them stop the worse of the two evils. Similarly, Rabbi Yosef argues, although a co-educational institution is a definite compromise, when the alternative is a greater compromise of our standards of tzeniyut we may choose the lesser of the two evils.
54
In a different responsum, Rabbi Yosef points out that this logic would only work for the students who have to choose the lesser of the two evils for themselves. What, if anything, would be the logic to allow a teacher to teach in such a school? The teacher will not be forced to compromise tzeniyut if he teaches in a different school. To address this issue,
Rabbi Yosef points out that according to the Gemara
55
it is better for a talmid chacham (Torah scholar) to violate a lesser prohibition than to allow an am h’aretz
to violate a more severe prohibition. Similarly, the teacher can violate the minor prohibition of accommodating the education of children in a co-ed environment, rather than allow the children to violate the more severe prohibition of attending public schools and attempting to withstand all of the pressures that they would be faced with in that environment.
56
C.
Rabbi Hersher Schachter, in presenting the opinion of his Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef
Dov Halevi Soloveitchik, 57 suggests a more liberal approach than both Rabbis
53 Sotah 48a
54 Responsa Yechave Da’at IV:46.
55 Eruvin 32b
56 Responsa Yabia Omer, IV Even Ha’ezer #4. Although, Tosafot ( Shabbat daf 4) limit this concept to cases where the am ha’aretz is not completely negligent about their Judaism, and the parents of these children who are otherwise going to send them to public schools are clearly negligent, the children themselves have done nothing wrong. Therefore, they should be treated as a tinok she’nishbah about whom it is clear that one can violate a minor prohibition in order to save them from far more sever prohibitions.
57 Whether or not Rabbi Schachter’s portrayal is indeed an accurate reflection of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s opinion has been the subject of debate. Rabbi Soloveitchik founded the Maimonides School in Boston
Massachusetts. Amongst its most innovative features was that Maimonides was, and remains, a coeducational institution where all classes are mixed from kindergarten through high school. Considering Rav
Soloveitchik’s stature as a poseik and communal leader our analysis of this entire question would be far more balanced if Rav Soloveitchik indeed supported the notion of co-education as an ideal. As Rav Ahron
Lichtenstien has said: “If the Rav thought it proper to do what he did I certainly do not regard myself in a position or have any desire to challenge him on halachic grounds. I would make a … fool out of myself and that I do not want to do.” Unfortunately, as Dr. Seth Farber notes, “Rabbi Soloveitchik left no written testimony that would explain the ideology behind these decisions, nor did he speak publicly about these

matters” (“An American Orthodox Dreamer”, pg. 75). Dr. Farber notes that “this was certainly not an oversight”. While this is clearly true, the fact that Rabbi Soloveitchik never publicly addressed the issue leaves us guessing as to his reasoning in founding and continuously supporting the Maimonides school .
As such, the door was left open for various students and followers of Rav Soloveitchik to develop their own impressions of his view. Considering the lack of evidence to support either point of view, we will only cite, and very briefly analyze, some of the opinions suggested to explain Rabbi Soloveitchik’s support of
Maimonides.
A.
Rabbi Herschel Schachter writes that when Rav Soloveitchik was informed of another school that was modeled after Maimonides, he remarked that in a city that has supported all boys and all girls schools there is no reason to open up a co-ed school. Rabbi Schachter explained that in Boston
Rav Soloveitchik was forced to open the Maimonides school because the alternative would have been an inferior education for girls. The only way to guarantee an equal education was to choose the lesser of two evils and open a co-ed school. Rabbi Schahcter notes that he heard a similar explanation of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s view in the name of Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Twersky (Rabbi
Soloveitchik’s son in law). See Farber note 36 who questions the accuracy of this quote because
“Rabbi Twersky’s full engagement with all aspects of the school until his death in 1997 suggests that he did not subscribe to such a belief”. Certainly, though, we may suggest that Rabbi Twersky was able to support and love an institution even if he wasn’t perfectly comfortable with each and every aspect of the institution, especially considering the close family connection to the school.
Involvement with a school hardly suggests that one believes all of the school’s policies should be imitated by others.
1.
Indeed, Rabbi Schachter’s explanation is supported by the testimony of Professor Bar-
Lev who wrote “When I asked my hosts about coeducation I was told that Rabbi
Soloveitchik believes in equal education for boys and girls in all disciplines, though he is not thrilled about coeducation. Nonetheless, because of the limited number of Orthodox
Jewish boys and girls in Boston there is no opportunity for equal education save the format of coeducation.” (An American Orthodox Dreamer page 80)
2.
Rav Ahron Silver has pointed out that it is difficult to dismiss Rabbi Schachter’s point of view without definitive proof to the contrary. The Gemara teaches us that when something is reported in the name of a great man, one must ascertain the greatness of the messenger before determining the accuracy of the quotation. It is entirely possible that a lesser person would misinterpret a statement or action of a great man, while a greater student is in a better position to correctly interpret the actions or statement ( Chullin 7a
“ man gavra rabba k’mashid alei ”).
3.
Finally, while shying away from making a definitive statement on the matter, Rav Ahron
Lichtenstein gave a similar explanation for Rabbi Soloveitchik’s decision to open
Maimonides as a co-ed school. Rav Lichtenstein said: “In some communities the option is either a coed school or a strikeout for either boys or girls, usually that means a strikeout for girls, I am committed to girls education for many, many reasons on many, many levels. I would be deeply pained if I had to determine in a particular community that there is not option of a torah education for women. My information is in the past not only the
Rav minimally held in such a situation you can have a coeducational school - that is the way the school developed in Boston.” In terms of why Rav Soloveitchik, or anybody else involved in running Maimonides, never made a serious attempt to separate the school,
Rav Lichtenstien believes “there was a lot of inertia to it but lechatchila I believe as far as I know, that (the need to educate boys and girls on an equally high level) was the reason behind it”.
B.
Rabbi Jeffery Woolf wrote: (quoted in Farber page 79) “he [Rabbi Soloveitchik] never veered from the position that such an arrangement was legitimate and halakhically justified, ab initio , and not a begrudged ex-post-facto concession.” Rabbi Woolf does not provide any halachic reasoning to support such a policy, though perhaps the arguments of R. Weinberg or some variant of them provides an unstated viewpoint. It is entirely possible, that the Rav who published few Tshuvot, would not want to engage in debate and letting his actions speak for themselves. Rabbi Dr. Steve
Bailey writes: “Heather Luntz is much more on the mark with her observation about the likely

Feinstein and Yosef. He suggests that even if the girls would not be relegated to public school through a division of the schools, but would merely be subjected to an inferior yeshiva education, the school should remain co-ed.
This fits with Rabbi Soloveitchik’s general view that boys and girls should be given equal education.
1.
While both Rabbi Schachter (in Rabbi Soloveitchik’s name) and Rabbi Yosef agree that whenever feasible an institution should be separated, they do not discuss what our attitude should be toward an institution that has the financial wherewithal to support separate institutions for boys and girls, but still keeps a single co-educational institution.
Should one disassociate from such an institution? Should people stop supporting such institutions? Rabbi Shlomo
Aviner suggests that just as the Rambam writes that each individual is judged based on the majority of his actions,
58
so too each institution should be judged based on its overall positive impact and productivity. A single wart should not exclude an entire institution from our support and encouragement. Rabbi Aviner agrees that co-educational programs involve a serious breach of tzeniyut , and this breach should not be taken lightly, but if an institution does many positive things it must be viewed, on a whole, in a positive light. These institutions are indeed worthy of our support provided that they contribute positively to Jewish education.
While there may be circumstances that would require the
‘revisionist’ version of the Rav zt”l ’s position, as recounted in R. Schachter’s book of stories. I have it on first person report that neither the Rav’s daughter (Atara Twersky), his son Chaim, nor son in law, Rav Lichtenstien will state that the Rav prohibited co-education. The fact that all classes (even Talmud) were co-ed… and the fact that his own children went there instead of to
New York argues against the prohibition.” (Mail Jewish Wed. April 12 1995) The argument that
Rabbi Soloveitchik must have approved of co-education as an ideal simply because his children went there is tenuous. Would anybody argue that Rabbi Shneur Kotler approved of co-education because he sent his children to the Betzalel Day School in Lakewood as opposed to separate schools in New York?
C.
One of the problems with suggesting that Rav Soloveitchik was a supporter of coeducation as an ideal is that he very clearly and publicly opposed the mixing of any classes at Yeshiva University.
Dr. Seth Farber, in addressing this seeming inconsistency suggested that “the goals of Yeshiva and
Maimonides were dissimilar, as yeshiva was interested in training rabbis while Maimonides was interested in developing observant laymen”. This distinction seems to blur the lines between
Yeshiva College (a university) and RIETS (the rabbinical school affiliated with the university).
Clearly, Rav Soloveitchik’s opposition to mixing classes in Yeshiva College had nothing to do with “training rabbis” as only a small percentage of Yeshiva College graduates moved on to careers in the rabbinate. It is perhaps equally plausible to suggest that Rabbi Soloveitchik did not believe that the Maimonides model was appropriate for most other communities. As Rabbi
Schachter noted, Rabbi Soloveitchik supported co-education only when the education of the girls would be compromised by separating the genders. Nevertheless, he may have avoided mentioning anything along these lines to people from Boston, lest they feel that their education is second-rate, and look askance at their own yeshiva. It is certainly sound educational policy to ensure that the student and parent body of a given institution view that institution with the highest esteem.
58 Hilchot Teshuvah 3:1.

institution to remain co-ed in order to continue to have a positive impact, when the institution can separate the genders without sacrificing their overall mission they must do so.
59
D.
Rabbi Yechiel Yakov Weinberg takes these leniencies one step further.
Whereas Rabbi Feinstein did not permit co-education for older children under any circumstance, Rabbi Yosef only permits co-education when the alternative is public school, and Rabbi Schachter (in the name of Rabbi
Soloveitchik) only allows it when the alternative is an inferior Jewish education to one gender, Rabbi Weinberg believes that a view of the long term effects of the education of the children is also important. Even if the local children would initially attend whatever program is offered, if the result of separate institutions or kiruv organizations will be that children will find the religion to be antiquated and will be turned off from long term commitment to
Judaism, or unable to withstand social pressure to abandon their religion, a coeducational environment which will better connect to the youth is the proper choice. Rabbi Weinberg was asked specifically about the Yeshurun organization in France after the Second World War.
60
Rabbi Weinberg describes in vivid detail, the religious condition of the Jewish citizens of
France, and concludes that the German educational model that they follow is certainly the one most likely to be successful. The ability to connect to the youth and have them feel that Judaism is vibrant cannot be underestimated.
Rabbi Weinberg believes that German rabbis were more attuned to the needs of their youth and were therefore far more successful at developing generations of committed Jews than their Eastern European counterparts.
61
VII. Conclusion.
Many have pointed to anecdotal evidence of boys and girls raised in separate environments who have found ways to socialize inappropriately, while some students in co-ed schools manage to avoid similar misdeeds. Indeed, the Gemara tells us that the evil inclination for sexual immorality is active both when the opportunity for sin is in front of us, as well as when it is hidden from us.
62
Based on our analysis of the sources , from a torah perspective, the majority of leading poskim who have publicly commented on the matter all seem to agree that a coeducational environment is at best not ideal.
63
They take this stance in spite of the fact
59 Letter published in Sefer Kedoshim Tiheyu , pages 246-249.
60 Rabbi Weinberg describes that they would have boys and girls in the same room, but on separate bentches, singing zemirot together. They do not have any torah classes together, and the counselors are God fearing and diligent enough to assure that boys and girls are under direct supervision at all times.
61 Responsa Siridei Eish #76. Rabbi Weinberg relates that when Rabbi Yisroel Salanter returned from a visit to Germany where he saw Rabbi Ezriel Hildesheimer giving lectures in Tanach and Shulchan Aruch to young women, he commented “If one of the rabbis of Litta were to try to do the same in their community, he would deservedly be fired. Nevertheless I only wish that I can earn a portion in the world to come together with Rabbi Hildesheimer.”
62 Chagigah 11b. See Tosafot Sotah 8a s.v. gemiri that this is only true once one has already seen the ervah .
63 In fact, many of the poskim only address the issue briefly because they find it obvious that co-education is to be avoided. See, for example Responsa Shevet Halevi I:29 who says “why discuss the obvious at length”. Rav Ahron Lichtenstien summed up the issue by saying: “I would prefer to see schools separate and I certainly would challenge the kind of educational philosophy that you have in some segments of
Israeli society, maybe you have it here (the United States) also, of regarding mixed schools not as a

that in many communities this is a highly unpopular position to hold.
64
It should be noted, though, that separating the genders is an important factor in judging how appropriate a school may be for one’s child, but it is far from the only factor. The primary consideration in choosing a school should be the level of sincere yirat shamayim that permeates the institution.
65
Certainly a separate school where the students are known to be disrespectful or dishonest may be a far more negative influence on a child than a coeducational institution where the students and faculty are noted for their sincerity, integrity, and commitment.
66
Ideal schools exist only in the ideal world; our job as parents is to make realistic choices balancing multiple factors and knowledge of our children. Our obligation for their chinuch and secular education demands nothing less.
67 b’dieved at all but as a lechatchila she’b’lechatchila , the kind of thing that the kibbutz dati has been pushing for a long time. That I would certainly reject.”
64 See Responsa Yabia Omer X:23 where Rav Ovadyah Yosef states that he was publicly ridiculed and mocked by a school administrator for criticizing co-educational institutions.
65 See Tosafot Baba Batra 21a s.v. ki mi’tziyon tetzei torah who explains that initially when R’ Yehoshua ben Gamla instituted the idea of teaching children in a school environment (rather than each father educating his own son at home) he only established a yeshiva in Yerushalayim . Tosafot explain that his thinking was that it is imperative that the atmosphere for Torah education be one of yirat shamayim . When a child witnesses the great sanctity of the city and the kohannim engaged in the avodah , he will be able to focus more on learning torah and obtaining yirat shamayim . Tosafot compare this to the requirement to bring ma’aser sheini to Yerushalayim , which the Medrash explains is meant to help us recharge our spiritual batteries by witnessing the great sanctity of Yerushalayim and the people who live there. Rabbi
Baruch Epstien in his commentary to the siddur, Baruch She’amar, writes that the reason we ask for yirat shamayim twice in the paragraph of Rosh Chodesh bentching is that we ask for yirat shamayim both in a general sense as well as in our study of Torah. This comment underscores how critical it is that the environment for torah study be saturated with a strong sense of yirat shamayim . Rav Ahron Lichtenstien echoes this idea as well, specifically in relating to coeducational high schools – “a sense of growth a sense of wanting to maintain a vision of greatness is on respiration and it is critical for what we are trying to inculcate in talmidim , even if we are speaking only in general secular standards but we are not speaking in secular standards, we are speaking in torah standards and in torah standards the aspiration for yirat shamayim and for lomdut - that is what a 14 15 year old has to have on his mind. He’s got more of that on his mind in a non coeducational school that in a coeducational school.”
66 While Rav Ovadya Yosef (Responsa Yabia Omer X:23) strongly questions the yirat shamayim of most co-educational institutions, even insisting that their torah is like the torah of Do’eg in that it is completely insincere, one can readily understand that this is a generalization, based on his personal experience and perspective.
67 The author would like to thank the following people for their input in the formulation of this article:
Rabbi Zev Cinamon, Rabbi Ahron Silver, Rabbi Julius Berman, Mr. Yehuda Samter, Mr. Michael Samter,
Mr. Joel Mael, Rabbi Dr. Fischel Mael and Dr. William Gewirtz.